Rockets report: Harden back at practice after resting sore knee

Criticism of Derrick Rose faded at least temporarily when he hit the game-winning shot over Klay Thomp-
son as the Bulls won at Golden State last week.

Photo: Ezra Shaw, Staff

Rockets guard James Harden returned to practice Tuesday after resting the previous two days. He is probable for Wednesday's game against the Bulls.

The All-Star sat out Monday's practice with a knee contusion suffered Saturday night at Detroit.

"I felt pretty good after a couple days of rest and treatment. Icing really helped out, so I should be ready," Harden said.

Center Dwight Howard, out with swelling in his knee, was in the practice gym on a stationary bike on Tuesday.

"If it was a Tour de France, the bike would be a really fantastic thing," coach Kevin McHale said. "I don't know how much that helps with basketball."

More Information

Scouting report: Vs. Bulls

When/where: 7 p.m. today, Toyota Center.

TV/radio: Root, ESPN; 790 AM and 850 AM (Spanish).

BULLS

1 Derrick Rose has led Chicago in scoring in eight out of the last 10 games. In that span, he has averaged 23.3 points and 4.9 assists per game.

2 Pau Gasol has posted nine double-doubles in a row and leads the NBA with 30. During his current double-double streak, he has averaged 15.4 points and 14.7 rebounds per game.

3 Former Tomball star Jimmy Butler has been the Bulls' leading scorer this season with 20.8 points per game. He scored 22 on the Rockets in a Chicago win in January.

ROCKETS

1 Corey Brewer and Josh Smith have provided an offensive lift off the bench since joining the team in December. Brewer has scored in double digits in 16 of his 22 games with the Rockets, and Smith has done so in 12 of his 17.

2 Houston and Chicago are two of the top 10 teams in the NBA in free-throw attempts. The Rockets shoot 24.5 per game and the Bulls 25.7.

3 The Rockets continue to be one of the best in the league in steals per game. In January, they averaged 11.1 per outing, bringing their season average to 9.8.

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There is no official timetable for how long Howard will be out, but McHale said Monday it would be at least a week to 10 days.

Beverley defends friend Rose

Bulls guard Derrick Rose has taken his share of criticism after missing nearly two seasons with injuries. A former MVP, he has taken shots about his play, attitude and future.

Beverley said he has a ton of respect for what Rose has accomplished and wishes him nothing but the best.

"It's hard to explain if you aren't from Chicago," Beverley said. "He was born and raised there, born and raised in the city. For him to do what he did for the city, to actually go out there and put the city on his back, get the MVP, lead them in the playoffs, and to still take that constructive criticism after injuries is something that … you don't plan to get injured. No one wants to get injured. So he is a friend before anything, and I am supportive of anything he does. He has definitely been a role model for my family and for a lot of kids in Chicago."

Harden hoping for All-Star start

James Harden took full advantage of the rest he got Sunday and Monday. It will be awhile before he has time like that again.

"Rest is always a good thing," he said.

While his teammates will get rest during the NBA's extended All-Star break (Feb. 12-19), Harden will be a part of the festivities in New York.

Harden said he was grateful to be included as an All-Star this season.

"I will never take things like that for granted," he said. "It's an amazing weekend, and I am very honored to be a part of it."

West coach Steve Kerr of the Warriors will replace Kobe Bryant in the starting lineup with either Harden or Golden State's Klay Thompson

"It will be fun no matter what," Harden said. "But if I got to start, that would just be icing on the cake."

Guards getting jerseys retired

After the All-Star Game, James Harden will head to his alma mater, Arizona State, on Feb. 18 to have his No. 13 jersey retired during a game against UCLA.

Jenny Dial Creech, a native of San Antonio and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, started at the Houston Chronicle in 2005 as a high school sports reporter. She has since covered an array of beats and served as an assistant sports editor and senior editor of Texas Sports Nation. Creech is the president of the Association for Women in Sports Media and was awarded the 2015 APSE Diversity Fellowship. In addition to her role at the Houston Chronicle, Creech also works with several high school and college journalists at Columbia University journalism conferences and workshops.